School Readiness: What the teachers say!

Photo: Striatic

I read around the blogosphere and Twitterverse that lots of four and five year old children are currently enjoying orientation prior to starting kindergarten/pre-primary/prep in 2010.

In my role as Child Care Centre Director, I talked to parents extensively about what ‘school readiness’ should really involve. It is not about them knowing how to write or read, nor about extensive phonics programs (after all, isn’t that why they are starting school?), instead it is about children possessing the skills and behaviours to function as a learner in the new (and often, very foreign) larger school environment.

Instead of parents taking my word for it, I asked local kindergarten* teachers (from both private and public schools) to complete a questionnaire, asking them to identify what they believed made for a child’s successful transition to school.

*Please note the word ‘kindergarten’ is used to represent the year prior to Grade One in Australia.

The following are taken directly from their responses;

“Kindergarten teachers’ expectations focus on the child’s ability to function within a classroom environment.”

What behaviours and dispositions are exhibited by children who transition easily to school?

  • The ability to follow more than one instruction
  • Being flexible
  • Adapting to change and new routines
  • The ability to separate from parents
  • Confident, able to mix independently
  • Those familiar with the physical environment of the school
  • Good interactions with peers and teachers
  • Good listeners who are able to follow directions

What skills and understandings do children who transition easily hold?

  • Understanding of routines
  • Knowledge of their name
  • Independent toileting, dressing, hand washing and nose blowing
  • Ability to ask for assistance when needed
  • Ability to play in a co-operative group
  • Ability to follow simple rules
  • Ability to wait patiently for their turn
  • Fair to good fine motor skills
  • Ability to open whatever food they bring and eat on their own
  • To carry, pack and unpack their school bag
  • Pack away toys and equipment

“We can teach them to write their name, but it’s more important to have kids who can function in the classroom.”

What social and emotional behaviours are exhibited by children who transition easily?

  • Ability to be independent of parents
  • Knowledge that their parents return at the end of the day
  • Confidence to make friends
  • Confidence in answering questions and speaking in front of peers
  • Dealing with upset in appropriate ways
  • A desire to learn
  • A positive attitude, a happy student
  • Willingness to ‘have a go’ and not be upset if the result is not perfect
  • Good interactions with peers and teachers

If we waved a magic wand to create the perfect kindergarten pupil on their first day what would we see?

“We might see a child who could unpack their bag unaided, come into the classroom and follow instructions, be able to put up their hand to respond to teacher questions. The child would then be able to locate their hat and lunch at break times and put away their belongings.”

“Happy to say goodbye to family, eager to learn, a good listener, ability to sit still and listen for short periods, ability to make friends and get along with others, an ability to ‘have a go’ with all tasks.”

“A happy student who is eager to listen and learn.”

For parents thinking about ways to prepare their child for kindergarten, I suggest you think over this list as it relates to your child. Are their some practical things that you could be doing between now and February to help them be ‘ready?’

The following post, It’s not about reading and writing, offers suggestions for activities and ideas to introduce that may assist your child to be ready for school.

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11 Comments

  1. Narelle Nettelbeck says:

    Hi Christie, the school system is still different state by state in Australia.

    We're in WA and my youngest is due to start 4 year old kindy next year (2010), then the year after (2011) he will attend pre-primary which is the year before grade 1. Here in WA neither kindy or pre-primary are compulsory but yet they are allowing children to attend earlier and for more hours each week.

  2. My daughter wont be ready 'till the first day. When she puts on her shirt, shorts and hat, grabs the lunch we make and are ready. She is going to Kindy with 4 year olds. She knows how to play, use manners, Im sure she will be fine. I an sending her as a fun experience I have no expectations of academic achievement. Down the line I will, but I just want her to play play play. I know you understand play!

  3. Oh and we got her new school bag last Tuesday so we can practice, practice, practice. I think she would fit into it, lol, They want it big enough to fit their art book, library bag, and lunch. She is so little I think I might need to help her carry it. Oh and the sheet sets they sell please let mums know to wash them well in advance ours came ready made to fit the kindy beds and feel like card board I have been putting them into every load for the past 2 weeks, they are slowly getting softer.

  4. Christie - Childhood 101 says:

    Thank you ladies for your comments. As I stated in the post, this refers to the year before Grade One in Australia, it has different names in different states I know!

  5. Christie great list – would I have your permission to print out and pin to my daughters kindy* notice board for all the other parents to see. (a pre-prep C & K. She is going into Prep in Qld in 2010.) Wouldnt it be far more simpler if all of Aust was on the same page re schooling. Hard for when you move around etc and not a lot of equality across states (although as someone in the mid…well LATE…30s on the whole it all comes out in the wash in the end. Cant tell amongst my peers/my husbands peers on the whole who did what schooling when and at what age). That said I think chronological age is one of the silliest indicators of school readiness (as a parent and a psychologist) but realise there has to be some marker/line in the sand. Thanks for this list and will wait to get your permission before printing and sticking up at kindy (will reference you/your blog on it). Michele – hillme71@gmail.com

  6. Great list. My 4-turning-5yo is lining up to start next year. I felt pretty confident that she is ready, and her preschool teachers have confirmed she is, but I had some lingering reservations about her age (late april b'day). I have been able to check off everything on your list… she is ready!

  7. Charmaine says:

    Thanks for the list. My youngest, Caitlin will be in Kindy in 2011. I am confident she will be ready, esp having an older sibling as well. Do u mind if I link it on my FB account?

  8. Big brother, Little sister. says:

    thanks for this information, makes me realise again I have made the right decision for Cooper to start Prep in 2011 the year he turns 6. I do agree with the social/emotional side of things but from where I am sitting I find the physical/independence stuff irrelevant as Cooper will always need support with these yet still be able to access mainstream ed.
    Bron

  9. Thanks so much for posting this list! I found it very comforting to know that it is more about behavious and attitudes than the child's ability to read and write. My children will be home schooled not by choice but by location as we live in outback nsw. I am very much looking forward to your next post on "school ready activities" as I try to do something along these lines each day with my little girl! Afterall, if my little ones can read and write by the tme they start school f the air it will make my life easier in the long run!! Looking forward to your coming post!!! Sophie.
    http://wakegirls.blogspot.com/

  10. Nicole {tired, need sleep} says:

    This is truly a very interesting post to me. I live in the US and we will be waiting to send my son to our kindergarten until he is age 6. Age 5 or 6 is normal here, and his birthday will occur right before the school year starts. I feel strongly that he'll be more likely to succeed if he is a year older. I've been studying learning styles (there's a slight chance we might homeschool), and I'm just not sure some children are "wired" to learn in a "sit and listen" type of environment, especialy at such a young age! However, I do like the lists you've created here and they are very insightful and helpful. This is my first visit to your blog; I really like it and will be your newest subscriber. 🙂

  11. Anonymous says:

    I long for the day when the focus moves away from us asking "what can I do to get my child ready for school?" to a school asking "what can we do to get ready for your child?".

    This is more a desire for parents and educators to move away from more formalised and structured school-readiness programs than the practical ideas discussed on this post. To have organised school-readiness activities in early childhood settings sends the message that everything else we do doesn't get kids ready for school and devalues the importance of play to a child's learning.

    If I were a parent with a child at a preschool that boasted about school readiness programs I'd be very inclined to ask what they thought the child was doing for the rest of the day, and why this wasn't just (more) important.

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